Dustin Martin with his father Shane Martin in Auckland, NZ for Christmas.

AFL

Dutton refuses to budge on Dusty's dad

by Matt Coughlan

18th Feb 2020 9:25 AM

HOME Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has slammed the door shut on the exiled father of AFL superstar Dustin Martin returning to Australia from New Zealand.

Shane Martin failed in his bid to return to Australia last weekend after claiming he had Aboriginal heritage, following a landmark High Court ruling that indigenous people could not be deported.

"Part of the reason that we kick out people with severe criminal histories, like Mr Martin, is that we want to make sure that people don't commit crimes again in our country," Mr Dutton told the Nine Network on Tuesday.

Mr Martin says he has an Aboriginal grandmother from Tasmania.

But Mr Dutton isn't buying it.

"I think he's got a spurious claim, but that is a claim for him to put," he said.

Mr Martin was deported to New Zealand after living in Australia for 20 years because of his links to the Rebels bikie club.

Mr Dutton is confident the court decision won't create an avenue for the father of Richmond's Brownlow medallist to return.

"We have now cancelled the visas of about 5000 people, many of them involved in outlaw motorcycle gangs, who are the biggest distributors of amphetamines, ice in our country, destroying lives," the Minister said.

"It's a very clear message that if you come to our country as a Kiwi, a US citizen, as citizen of anywhere else in the world and you commit crimes in our country, you can expect to be deported."

Mr Martin was put on the first flight back to Auckland on Monday after arriving at Sydney with a lawyer on Sunday.